Talisker Atlantic Challenge The World’s Toughest Row

Crossing the Atlantic is never an easy undertaking, but people have been making the journey for hundreds of years. The very first crossings were made to discover and explore new lands. Today, most crossings are made by huge cargo ships exporting essential commodities across the ocean.

But some daring people choose to cross the Atlantic to test the limit of their physical and mental strength; to achieve something unthinkable.

The idea of the Atlantic Challenge race came to Sir Chay Blyth whilst he was rowing the Atlantic Ocean in 1966 with John Ridgeway. It was a 92 day battle against hurricanes, 50 foot waves and near starvation.

It’s no surprise then that more people have been into space, or climbed Everest than have rowed the Atlantic. It takes a certain kind of person to keep going when faced with blisters, salt rash, sharks and sleep deprivation.

That’s why the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is the world’s toughest row.

One team in particular Yorkshire Rows, 4 working mothers from Yorkshire, England came to our (Glidecoat’s) attention – Janette Benaddi, 51, Helen Butters, 45, Niki Doeg, 44 and Frances Davies, 47. In an interview on BBC, they indicated one of their concerns in making this challenging voyage across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Antiqua, was getting out of the boat during the voyage to scrape barnacles and other marine organisms off the boat.

Our sister company Cavendish Marine in the UK reached out and offered to apply Glidecoat’s coating to the entire boat and oars. In addition all fabric, seats and sleeping gear was treated with Glidecoat’s Smart Fabric Protector to protect it from water and also added an anti-bacterial element given the very close living quarters.

In early December the Yorkshire Rows team had there boat delivered to the Glidecoat Facility in Earls Colne, Essex, UK where it was completely coated.